The rotten, hollow core of parasociality shows itself when the streamer is physically ill and suffering.
Of course I hope Vylett recovers as soon as possible, but the performative "get well soon" messages run counter to the real social pressure on the streamer to keep performing. Each expression of concern, genuinely felt or not, is another brick in a wall reinforcing the power dynamic that limits her choices.
The audience gets to feel good and empathetic, but that feeling is produced by turning her illness into content, and expressing it only deepens her obligation to not step away and to remain available.
This catch-22, where good intentions backfire and produce the opposite effect, seem to be frequent and unavoidable in parasocial dynamics.
I'm not saying people shouldn't wish her well or that she is being forced to stream. This is an observation of how the system produces unhealthy outcomes, even when individuals are acting in good faith.
To be reductive about it, maybe reverse psychology would work better, where everyone tells the streamer to suck it up and keep streaming. It could lead to them telling the audience to fuck off and resting instead.
But that would just backfire in an even worse way, and that's what I mean. There is no moral way forward in this system.